Swindon look to keep up their charge for the play-offs when they visit leaders Poole tonight.
It’s the first of two meetings in four days between the close rivals, as the Pirates make the return trip to the Abbey on Thursday – and the clashes could go a long way towards resolving top spot in the Premiership.
The CFS Filtration Robins exploded into the top four with their five-point haul last week, as they picked up a consolation at Belle Vue and then demolished second-placed Ipswich 53-37 at Foxhall.
And if they could pull off another away win at Wimborne Road, they would very much be in touch with the Pirates as the business end of the season approaches.
Robins have had mixed fortunes in Dorset this season, having impressively won 53-37 in the Premiership Supporters’ Cup en route to the Final – but they then suffered a injury nightmare when they returned in late May, going down 51-39.
Remarkably, both Abbey clashes between the Robins and the Pirates this season have ended in 45-45 draws, underlining how closely-matched the two sides tend to be.
The Pirates are led by fast-rising Australian stars Jack Holder and Brady Kurtz, and boast a hugely productive middle-order combination in Nicolai Klindt and Josh Grajczonek, both of who have been in excellent form for their club.
Richie Worrall is still on the sidelines for the hosts with a broken ankle, and they operate rider-replacement.
Boss Alun Rossiter said: “The boys are confident after last week, I was really pleased with what they did at Ipswich, and there’s no reason why we can’t go to Poole and win.
“We know they’re a good side and obviously we respect that, but we’ve been there before and done well, and we’ve got people who can win races there.
“If we can get another good result it would start to make things look very interesting at the top of the table.”
POOLE: Jack Holder, Richie Worrall r/r, Nicolai Klindt, Josh Grajczonek, Brady Kurtz, Nico Covatti, Ricky Wells.
SWINDON: Jason Doyle, Adam Ellis, Rasmus Jensen, Tobiasz Musielak, Troy Batchelor, Ellis Perks, TBC.
